Make the Call! - July 18, 2024

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Make the Call!

Thursday, July 18, 2024

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by David Tente

Your support and engagement are needed to help push the ‘Safe Access to Cash Act’ through to passage in the U.S. Congress.

The original Bank Robbery Act, U.S Title 18, section 2113, was established in 1934 and amended 17 times since then.  The first amendment was in 1950, which added savings and loan associations to the original definition of “financial institutions”.  Then in 1952, the definitions were changed again to include all insured financial institutions. 

Thirteen of the remaining amendments were made after the invention of the ATM in 1967.  However, none of them specifically references ATMs – which creates some problems with prosecuting crimes against ATMs.  Robbery is the act of taking something that belongs to the bank, from another person.  Nearly all ATM crime, technically, is theft, not robbery.  This is one reason why the ABA (American Bankers Association) has been advocating for changes in the law since 2017.

As a result, ATM crime is typically treated as a property crime in most states, which is often a misdemeanor.  It may become a federal crime if the perpetrators crossed state lines to execute the crime; or, it involves organized crime groups.  A federal law would bring significant clarity to the prosecution of these crimes.

The “Safe Access to Cash Act” amends the existing statute to include all ATM crime, as well as related property damage.  And it includes all ATMs, regardless of the owner/operator.

ATMIA encourages all its members to reach out to their representatives, voicing support for HR 3398, the “Safe Access to Cash Act”.  Even more important is the support of your Senators.  Co-sponsors are needed for a companion bill in the Senate.  This will give some needed momentum to a bipartisan effort that needs to be passed this year.

If you do not know who both of your Senators are, use the link below to find their contact information.

https://www.senate.gov/senators

If you are not sure what Congressional District you reside in, use the link below to enter your ZIP code and see his/her contact information.

https://ziplook.house.gov/htbin/findrep_house

Thank you for helping to amplify the voice of ATMIA and the ATM industry at large.

Best regards to all.

David


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